


A Week Out Of 52

by Natsumiya_Teirin



Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Gen, Natsume Takashi Protection Squad, Natsume Takashi's Terrible Childhood, Tumblr: Natsume Week 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-05-31 12:26:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 1,831
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19425967
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Natsumiya_Teirin/pseuds/Natsumiya_Teirin
Summary: My collection of prompts for Natsume week, starting July 1-7 of 2019 with one new prompt each day, adding seven more each year this comes by.





	1. Prompt 1- Monochrome

"Liar!"

"Kid's just lookin for attention."

"Sensei! Natsume's telling lies again!" 

"Delusional, I swear."

"Doctor says he might be schizophrenic."

"It's your turn to take him!"

The colors in the boy's dreams are too bright and vivid, Madara thinks. But that's why they're dreams and not reality. 

Regardless, they're enough to make Natsume twist and turn and cry in a fretful sleep, and Madara sighs. With how much power the kid has, one would think youkai would be more troublesome than mere humans. 

But he remembers Reiko, then, and thinks that maybe humans can be more vicious than youkai, with their hurtful words and methods of manipulation. 

This is a thought he has every time Natsume has a nightmare of his past. It's routine at this point. 

So he goes with it and shifts into his true form, and begins to purr. The loud rumbling is enough to wake his charge- far better than trying to eat him- and Natsume sits up sleepily. 

"Sensei? What is it?" 

"Nothin, brat. Just go back to sleep." 

The moonlight shines against the great youkai's fur, painting the room in shades of gray and white. In the monochrome of the night, with his dutiful bodyguard curled around him, Natsume feels safe enough to fall back asleep. 

His dreams are void of color.


	2. Prompt 2- Adventure/Experience

The undergrowth crunches beneath Takashi's feet and Nyanko-sensei trots behind him. Behind both of them, Tooru and Kaname are discussing something, and behind _them_ are Satoru, Sasada, and Atsushi. 

And unseen to all but Takashi and his cat, Chobihige and the Chikyuu lead the way through the forest. 

Takashi adjusts his hold on the very full basket in his arms as the Chikyuu stop just beyond the tree line. He follows them, leading his friends along. 

"Look Natsume-sama! Isn't it lovely?" 

The trees part to reveal a grassy clifftop dotted with flowers overlooking a sparkling blue lake. The flowers themselves are nothing special- a scattered rainbow of wild little things- but there's a very present warmth in the air as Tooru and Sasada spread the picnic blanket out. Takashi sets the basket atop it and Satoru and Atsushi begin to unpack it. 

The sun reflects their smiling faces and Takashi thinks this is one experience he doesn't ever want to forget. 


	3. Prompt 3- genre swap/role reversal

They're in a secluded part of the courtyard outside the school building. The air is sweet and warm. Soon, they'll graduate. 

Tooru's cheeks are flushed a rosy pink as she thrusts the letter into Takashi's hands. 

"N-Natsume-kun! Here! I've poured my heart and soul into this letter just for you!" 

"Taki-san..."

The wind blows the letter out from his hands, but he doesn't care. 

"Natsume-kun..." 

He leans in close to her, breath hot against her lips. 

"Tooru-chan...I love you." 

The cherry blossoms swirl around them, a bright pink cloud engulfing them as they meet in a passionate kiss-

And Sasada Jun wakes up with a startled sound. 

"Wh-what was that!?" 


	4. Prompt 4- Secret/Mask

There is something strange about Natsume Takashi, Satoru decides upon seeing him. 

He immediately knows the new boy's hiding something, but has no clue what it might be.

These were his thoughts a few years ago. 

But now...

Now Atsushi's bleeding and they're riding behind Natsume on a giant flying cat. 

Satoru didn't even see what had happened- one minute they were talking and playing in the woods and the next-

The next minute Atsushi was bleeding from a wound in his leg and Natsume, paler than ever, started yelling at thin air about things Satoru didn't understand. His cat was gone, too.

"leave him alone! Or I'll summon every youkai in the book to hunt you down!"'

Youkai? Summoning? That kind of stuff only existed in stories!

....right? 

But then Natsume turned to him with a terrified face.

"...That must've looked strange...but I can explain it, I promise- just not yet. I...Kitamoto needs help first." 

And Satoru definitely agrees, and more than that he trusts Natsume to tell him the truth eventually, which is why he doesn't question it when Natsume takes his hand and starts drawing a bunch of strange symbols on it with a marker, then does the same for Atsushi. 

And suddenly he sees a giant mass of fur. 

"C'mon brat. Let's get out of here before more of those things show up." 

And it speaks! The voice is rough and gravelly and familiar, but Satoru can't remember where he might've heard it. 

And then Natsume's speaking again. 

"Nishimura, this is Nyanko-sensei. Help me get Kitamoto onto his back, and I can answer all your questions while he flies us to a hospital." 

So Satoru lets Natsume grab Kitamoto's legs while he himself grips his arms, thankful that his childhood friend isn't awake to feel this- just unconscious. It's awkward, and probably the strangest thing Satoru's ever done, but they make it work. 

Nyanko-sensei takes off and Satoru takes that as his cue to ask questions. 

"Natsume, what even is this? What's going on?" 

Natsume takes a minute to answer, and Satoru bites his lip to stop himself from putting more pressure on him. 

"This is...well, I guess it's what you'd call youkai. I've seen them ever since I was little, but no one ever believed me- cause they couldn't see them." 

And suddenly the pieces click together- why Natsume would stop and stare at nothing, why he'd suddenly go pale and swat at the air, and why he'd suddenly disappear only to come back banged up. 

And then he feels safe to ask Natsume more questions, so he does, and lets him take his time answering. 

"My grandmother Reiko could see youkai, too, and she was mistreated by people who couldn't see them. So she'd play games with them- with the youkai- and have them write their names in a certain book..." 

Satoru is proud of himself for keeping calm, even as he and Natsume haul Atsushi into the hospital. And when all is said and done...

"...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't want you to find out. Not like this. Not-" 

Satoru cuts him off with a bop to the head. 

"Idiot. You should've said something sooner! You just made me worry more! And what about Touko-san and Shigeru-san!? Do they know!? If you say no I swear-" 

Natsume surprises them both by lunging and wrapping his arms around Satoru's middle. He's trembling and his voice shakes just as much when he speaks. 

"I-I'm sorry, Satoru. I really am." 

"....Idiot. Stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault." 

Natsume Takashi really is strange, to think he can actually keep his problems to himself.


	5. Prompt 5- personality/identity

Shigeru and Touko watch as Takashi adjusts to life under their roof. 

They watch patiently as Touko offers him a second helping of rice, and he declines with an expression that's somehow surprised, reluctant, and scared all at once.

They watch, worried, as he comes home with bruises and scrapes that he can't seem to fully explain. 

They watch- through their neighbors and friends- as he shyly, quietly wisps along and makes friends of his own. 

They watch as he skips class- but surely he has his reasons; he's always quiet and respectful towards everyone and his grades are good even if his attendance isn't. 

They watch as he returns home one sunny day with a fat calico hugged tightly in his arms and a pleading look on his face as he asks if he can keep it. 

They watch as he blossoms from a quiet, timid boy to a respectable, kind young man, and as he discovers himself, they couldn't be more proud. 


	6. Prompt 6- Gods/Magic

The air around him crackled with electricity and the summoning circle glowed beneath his feet. It was enough to make even the Undead Exorcist stop and stare. 

The rest of the party steps back, but even then, Tanuma can't stop himself from staring. 

Natsume's hair, normally a sandy blond, was dyed silver with his magic, and his eyes glowed a mysterious green in the dim light of his circle. He looked like one of his youkai summons, himself.

Natsume clasped his hands together and began to chant. 

"Thou who wouldst protect me, I call thee by name and demand thy aid! That which gives life may grant it anew and release it at will- minor god of the rivers, Kai! I summon thee!" 

Above the circle, mere inches from Natsume's face, a humanoid form took shape, a being of pure light, slowly dimming and solidifying into-

"...a child?" 

The Undead Exorcist laughed.

"You, the greatest and most fought-over summoner in the land, send out a mere whelp to face me!? How blasphemous!" 

Taki grinned. Being a minor god, Kai was compatible with all of them, even if he was technically a river god. 

The child-like god smirked. 

"I don't appreciate you hurting my friends. Guess I'll have to teach you a lesson!" 

The battle that followed lasted only a few minutes at most, with Matoba Seiji the Undead Exorcist being sent back to the grave from whence he came, and his essence taking on an ephemeral form that Natsume was able to capture for future use. 


	7. Prompt 7- Loyalty/Longing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kind of ties in with Secrets, but hopefully it can also be read on its own.

When Atsushi wakes up in the hospital, it's to Natsume's cat purring loudly in his lap and Natsume himself asleep with his head beside Atsushi's knees. 

On the other side is Satoru, with eyes far too somber for his face. 

"...hey." 

Satoru looks up quickly, startled. 

"Acchan! Thank god you're awake! Er, actually, thank Natsume and Nyanko-sensei- if it weren't for them..." 

Atsushi smiles. 

"Sacchan, why're you talking about that cat like it's a person?"

Satoru flinches, suddenly serious.

"Well...it's Natsume's secret to tell, honestly. I'll have him tell you once he wakes up- just. Let him explain before you call either of us crazy." 

"Huh?" He is actually, truly, deeply shocked. "What do you mean 'before you call either of us crazy'? Whatever Natsume's secret is, _you_ know me better than that. Pfft. Like I'd ever call a nice guy like him 'crazy'. _You're_ crazy, Sacchan." 

"Oi! Take this seriously!" Satoru visibly struggles to keep his voice down, unwilling to wake Natsume. 

"I only found out because you were hurt. He didn't want anyone to know, and...I think it was a really big deal for him to tell me. And it'll be a big deal for him to tell you, too. Cause," his voice softens and he leans in closer.

"Cause he sees things most other people can't, and I have a bad feeling that most people he _did_ talk about that to before coming here...I think they hurt him, Atsushi."

Atsushi frowns and his eyes harden as he looks at Natsume again. 

"Well, I'll let him tell me, and I'll probably have to remind him again what being our friend means. But we'll show him it's okay to talk about his problems, at least to us. Right, Sacchan?" 

"Heck yeah we will!"

Nyanko-sensei continues purring. His boy did something right, choosing those two. 


End file.
